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Federal Members of the crossbench in the House of Representatives will join with John Hewson AM, former Liberal leader, to call on the Parliament to declare a climate emergency, with MPs and Senators exercising a free vote so that the motion can pass.

The declaration motion to be released today calls on the House to declare an environment and climate emergency and to take urgent action consistent with internationally accepted science. The motion will be moved by Greens MP for Melbourne Adam Bandt, seconded by the independent member for Warringah Zali Steggall OAM, and supported by the independent member for Indi, Helen Haines, Centre Alliance member for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie and the independent member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie.

The move follows a wave of similar declarations around the world in covering 990 national, state and local jurisdictions including the UK, France, and Canada and the city of New York.

“Climate was an emergency some thirty years ago. If this had been recognised at the time, we would already be well past the Paris targets and enjoying many thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars of investment, with much lower electricity and gas prices. Moreover, we would be a world leader in the inevitable transition to a low carbon society, rather than an embarrassing laggard. MPs and Senators should have a conscience vote on the emergency declaration so that individual members of Parliament can be held personally accountable by their constituents, their children and their grandchildren, indeed by all future generations, for the stance they took on the greatest economic, social, political and moral challenge of this century,” said Dr Hewson.

“We are facing an existential climate crisis that threatens life as we know it. With record drought and Australia ablaze barely a week out of winter, it is time to tell the truth about how severe the climate emergency is. If the government can declare a Budget emergency, it can declare a climate emergency. Once we are honest about the climate emergency, we can develop the plans to tackle it,” said Mr Bandt.

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, today said that the latest Climate of the Nation report released by The Australia Institute reaffirmed that most Australians are concerned about how the climate crisis will exacerbate extreme weather events and want to see a phase out of coal to tackle the climate emergency.

“The government has no mandate for coal,” said Mr Bandt.

“Nearly eight out of ten Australians want a plan to phase out coal power, something only the Greens are advocating.

A report on electricity prices released today by the Australian Energy Regulator confirms that electricity bills were lower when the Greens/Labor carbon price was in effect than they are now under the Liberals, said Greens energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt.

“Electricity bills were lower under the Greens/Labor carbon price than they are now under the Liberals, and back then we were also cutting climate pollution,” said Mr Bandt.

Greens climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has today called on Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor to do his job, end the war on renewables and extend the Renewable Energy Target (RET) to cut pollution and lower power bills. "If Angus Taylor wants to do his job and cut emissions, he needs to extend the RET," said Mr Bandt.

Greens climate change spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has today responded to the latest Australian Season Bushfire Outlook highlighting above normal fire potential for regions across the country, warning that Scott Morrison bears some responsibility for the upcoming bushfire season.“Scott Morrison has done everything in his power to make global warming worse and now we’re seeing the consequences of a heated planet,” said Mr Bandt.

Greens climate change spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has responded to Western Australia Labor’s decision to back Tony Abbott’s weak carbon emissions targets and Wayne Swan’s call to avoid ‘climate catastrophe’, saying that Labor leader Anthony Albanese needs to condemn WA Labor’s weak climate targets and join the Greens in fighting the Liberals’ climate inaction. After fierce lobbying from the oil and gas industry, the Western Australian Labor government has adopted the Commonwealth’s weak targets, first announced by Tony Abbott, in an attempt to prevent the WA Environment Protection Agency from requiring climate action by large fossil fuel projects.

“Anthony Albanese needs to stomp on WA Labor and join the Greens in fighting the Liberals. We are in a climate emergency, yet WA Labor has capitulated to the fossil fuel giants and adopted the weak climate targets of the coal-loving Liberals,” said Mr Bandt.

Greens climate spokesperson, Adam Bandt, said that when the Prime Minister attends the G7 summit this weekend, the first time Australia has participated, he must back French President, Emmanuel Macron’s, demands for the Amazon fires to be recognised as an international crisis and made a top priority of the G7 meeting.

“Scott Morrison must back Macron’s call for the world to act on the Amazon climate emergency ,” said Mr Bandt.

“Last week, Scott Morrison bullied and bribed his way out of meaningful climate action at the Pacific Islands Forum but he won’t get away with it this weekend.

“There is no place to hide on the world stage. When Scott Morrison takes his place next to G7 summit leaders tomorrow, he must offer action on coal to cool the planet, not side with the demagogues club.

“The Amazon is 40% of the world’s tropical forests, 20% of our oxygen and up to 15% of global biodiversity. Right now, it is burning out of control. This is an international crisis and Scott Morrison must support efforts to treat it as such.”

Greens climate change spokesperson Adam Bandt MP, today called on the government to rule out privatisation of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), which Scott Morrison has called the ‘world’s most successful green bank’, warning it would leave the government without even a fig-leaf of a climate change policy.

“Just last week, Scott Morrison was boasting to Pacific Island leaders about the importance of the ‘world’s most successful green bank’ to the government’s climate policy, yet now there’s discussion about selling it off,” said Mr Bandt.

“Scott Morrison has repeatedly said the CEFC is one of the key planks of the government’s climate policy. He must immediately rule out selling off the CEFC, one of the few effective things this government is doing to fight climate change.

“Selling it off would leave the government without even a fig-leaf of a climate change policy and further weaken Australia’s already miserable efforts to fight global warming.

“I’m proud of the role the Greens played in establishing the CEFC and securing its $10 billion for clean energy in the 2010 shared power Parliament. Since 2011, it has backed renewable energy projects across the country, helping cut pollution and make clean energy cheaper.”

Greens spokesperson for the public service, Adam Bandt MP, has responded to the Prime Minister’s upcoming speech by launching a new campaign to protect the public service.

“Under the major parties, our public service has been privatised by stealth, with jobs cut, government departments hollowed out and work palmed off to the ‘Big 4’ consulting firms in exchange for massive donations,” said Mr Bandt

“Scott Morrison’s thinly veiled threats to public servants threaten the future of frank and fearless advice.

“It’s not public servants who aren’t trusted, it’s politicians like Scott Morrison.

“Scott Morrison wants the public service to be the eggs to his bacon, but a productive public service cannot succeed under the constant fear of being sent to the abattoir.

“The Greens will take up the fight to this government to protect the public service. Today we’re launching our campaign to restore a strong public service through restored staffing levels, the abolition of staffing caps, increased public servant pay and enshrining the right to freedom of political expression for public servants in the law.”

Greens climate change spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has responded to The Australia Institute report which highlights Australia’s role as a global pollution leader, as well as recent statements from Liberals and Labor endorsing coal and refusing to sign the Pacific Islands statement, saying the Greens are now the only party willing to take on the coal mafia and protect our way of life.

“The Arctic is burning and Australia is in record drought, yet Labor has backed the Liberals on coal,” said Mr Bandt.

“If Labor isn’t going to take the fight up to this government of climate criminals, they should get out of the way and the let the Greens be the real opposition.

“Last week, Scott Morrison bullied and bribed his way out of any meaningful climate commitment but Labor then backed his refusal to sign the Pacific Islands statement on coal.

“As hundreds of thousands of people take to the street in September ahead of the United Nations climate meeting, the pressure will grow on Labor and Liberal to shift on coal.

“Coal is a leading cause of climate change. Recent research highlights that Australia is the third biggest exporter of coal and ranks fifth for responsibility for carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

“Shamefully, when it comes to pollution, Australia punches well above its weight.

“If you don’t have a plan to phase out coal you don’t have a plan to tackle climate change.”

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri as the Traditional Owners of this country, pay tribute to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and give respect to the Elders past, present and emerging.